


Best Day of My Life

by KingKPGlitz



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-17
Updated: 2013-06-17
Packaged: 2018-10-14 14:10:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10538115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingKPGlitz/pseuds/KingKPGlitz
Summary: A Leon x Souda fanfiction. It tells of how the two met and explores their growing relationship together.





	1. Best Day of My Life

**Author's Note:**

> An old work I created that I needed to upload on this site.

A buzzing next to his ear abruptly woke Souda from his nap. Blinking lights on his phone signaled he was receiving a phone call. Drowsily, he wondered who could be calling him, and snagged his phone to flip it open. The caller ID read 'Sonia.' Crap, he was late! Nearly decapitating himself by launching off his bed into his bookshelf, he swore and answered the phone.

"I'm s-sorry! I'm so sorry! I forgot to set my alarm! Y-yeah, I'll be over right away!" he stammered as he struggled to pull on a fresh pair of sweatpants and shirt. Earlier in the morning he'd been working in the garage on his latest customer's truck and he reeked of oil and car exhaust. A spritz of cologne and a stick of deodorant later, he felt spruced up for his date. "I'm leaving now, I'll pick you up in front of your house!" His thumb jammed down on the button to end the call and hightailed it out of the door.

Incredibly nervous despite that they'd been dating for a month now, Souda powered up his rusty truck and spluttered away down the street. Today's date was at a baseball game for Sonia's research on commoner activities. That and she claimed there was a famous baseball player she wanted to research there as a potential band member for Ibuki. Frankly, Souda had no interest in baseball, but if it made Sonia happy and he could spend time with her, he didn't mind. His old clunker of a truck creaked to a halt in front of Sonia's apartment; she rented one during her time off in Japan.

"We must hurry if we are to make it before the gates close!" Sonia chattered as she hopped into the passenger seat. "Step on it!" In compliance to her wishes, he agitatedly stomped on the gas pedal, swerving out of the driveway and almost into an incoming car. This pleased Sonia and she gave an extensive lecture on recent major traffic accidents in the world as they sped towards the baseball stadium. Distractedly, Souda nodded whenever her bright eyes glanced towards him, concentrating on keeping them safe rather than the gory details of accidents. When he finally powered off the engine in the baseball stadium parking lot, she abruptly stopped her conversation and tugged on his arm excitedly. "We are here! You are quite an incredible speeder, Souda!"

He scratched the back of his head and faintly blushed. Sighing sheepishly, he escorted her through the ticket line and wound through the crowd to find the refreshments table. He bought them a bag of buttered popcorn to share and two lemon lime sodas, then they navigated their way to their seats. Right on time too, Souda noted, as the opening ceremony began. Each of the players was introduced, but no one received as much applause as the last player to be called, Leon Kuwata. Girls everywhere screamed as he swaggered onto the field, and he was waving and winking towards some of the girls on the lower level of the stadium.

"That is him! Ibuki said he was looking for a music career that he could juggle between playing baseball," Sonia murmured to Souda, pointing towards Leon's figure. Slurping up his soda through a straw, Souda pretended to examine him with thorough interest. If baseball didn't interest him, this baseball player sure didn't either; in fact, he vehemently made a point to ignore such flashy guys. With Leon Kuwata's fiery red hair, flirtatious behaviour, and confident pose, flashy was definitely the word for him. Another angry gulp of his soda, he imagined Sonia falling for his smooth-guy act. It burned him up. He had worked hard to finally muster up his guts to ask her out.

Both of the teams greeted each other and then jogged to their respective dugouts. After a quick gathering of their equipment and a team huddle, the fielding team began their warm-up. Souda initiated a conversation about his new toolbox to Sonia, unsure about what else to talk about. They didn't have particularly anything in common, but when Sonia went on a tangent she could talk for the both of them. During the game, however, her mouth clamped shut and she focused intently on the game. Pouting a little bit, Souda was forced to watch the game; he even tried to throw a little bit of commentary on the game her way in desperation to talk to her. Her replies were basic at most, but her fanatical cheers for the home team when they scored made up for it. Souda was pleased she was enjoying herself, even if he would rather be working on the demolished truck that was just brought into his workshop.

"That's the game!" the announcer called after what seemed like a hundred years for Souda, blinking him out of his daze. "Now it's time for the event everyone's been waiting for! One lucky person will get the chance to meet the home team's ace, Leon Kuwata! Our winner will be chosen randomly on the screen, so keep watching!" The entire crowd was breathless as they stared at the blank screen, waiting for it to flicker to life. Slowly, the screen focused in and out until the blurry image sharpened into a solid figure. A slap on his back accompanied a shout from the wide-eyed Sonia.

"It is you, Souda-kun! You won!"

Against his protests, she shoved him towards the stairs leading down to the field. Nearly tripping in his rush, he safely made it down in one piece and the guards unlocked the gate to the field. His sneakers treaded on the luscious turf, incredibly soft compared to the filthy cement of the stairs. The entire field was gorgeous, from the open convertible roof filtering in sunlight to the free air circulating around him. Breathing became easier down here away from the stench of grizzled hot dogs and brats, and the noise of crying children and cheering fans diminished. It was the feeling of pure freedom. Yanked roughly out of his euphoria, Souda noticed the red-headed baseball player striding towards him.

"Yo, I'm Leon Kuwata!" the man stuck his hand out, and when Souda reached out to take it he whipped it away again. "Too slow!" He grinned at Souda's dumbstruck face, until eventually Souda started cracking up with him. Holding his hand out for a high five, Souda congratulated the man on his ingenious trick. Leon slapped it wholeheartedly and escorted Souda off the field through the locker room doors.

"You've got good taste, dude. You wanna sit beside me during the autograph session? I need something interesting to pass the time, and you fit into the playing field," his contagious smile beamed at Souda, and his cheeks warmed up a bit. Even though he was technically here for Sonia's research, it wouldn't hurt for him to stay with Leon. Sonia was standing in line for an autograph anyway, so what was the harm?

"I-I wouldn't mind," Souda stammered, noting the peculiar stench of the locker room as the other baseball players changed out of their sodden uniforms. It was quite a contrast to the glorious field air, but they passed through the room quickly enough so it didn't matter to Souda. He was used to odd smells from working in the garage all day. One time he found a roasted rabbit in the hood of a car, and his clothes stunk for days, even after washing them.

"Hey, what do you think I should write? It'd be boring to just sign my name," Leon thoughtfully hummed, and Souda silently agreed that he did have some pretty sick vocal cords. They settled down behind a long table, ushers holding the crowd of fans back.

"I-I don't know, maybe we could come up with some really cheesy baseball lines?" Souda suggested, scratching the back of his head. The two of them turned to each other eagerly and began conversing, while the ushers let a trickle of people through to get some things signed.

"I've got a good one! Write 'You're my angel in the outfield.' That was in a movie once," Souda gushed in a whisper to Leon, and the baseball star gave a thumbs up in reply. Time continued to pass like this, with Souda and Leon haphazardly whispering cheesy baseball pickup lines to each other, some not even age appropriate. Whenever they thought of a good one, Leon would write it on his next autograph, chuckling under his breath with the pink-haired mechanic. They did this for about an hour before Leon was allowed a quick fifteen minute break.

"Man, I'm beat!" Leon complained, stretching his arms behind his head. Souda gave him a watery smile and sneezed in reply. Leon's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Dude, you don't look so hot. I mean, you're as cold as ice. Here, you can borrow this." Wriggling his arms out of his baseball warm-up jacket, Leon draped it over Souda's shoulders gently. "Make sure you don't catch a cold." A slight nod of thanks came from Souda, who gripped the jacket tightly to him.

"I-I'm sure I'll be fine," Souda wheezed, just as the usher returned and beckoned them back to the autographing table. After a few minutes of their usual routine (and extra concern from Leon), he spotted Sonia a little ways down in the line. Surprisingly, she was near the end of it. Hesitating when she approached them, he casually said, "Hey, how was the line?" He nearly smacked himself in the face for being so insensitive. Here he was having a great time, and then he had to shove it in her face after she waited alone for over an hour. Luckily for him, Sonia had her eyes glued on Leon and was busy pestering him with a lot of questions. After he signed her autograph book and left her satisfying answers to her questions, she whirled around and waved to Souda.

"Souda-kun! I will be waiting for you at the truck!" she called, then skipped off, anxious to decipher Leon's signature and message. Leon's gaze slid sideways to his new friend, but he didn't comment on his brief meeting with the regal-looking girl. Finally the line dwindled after a few minutes to a few more people, much to Leon's pleasure as he shook out his sore hand. Souda and Leon joked around as the last few fans stepped up shyly, and then they threw their hands up in the air together and shouted, "Woohoo! We're done!" Beaming from one ear to the next at each other, their smiles faded as they realized it was time to part ways.

"Souda..." Leon murmured as he escorted him outside, awkwardly shuffling his feet. "I don't know how to say this, but you're cool. Can we still hang out and stuff?" he pleaded, nervously tugging on his goatee. A faint red tint spread across Souda's cheeks, and he only stuck out his hand in reply. with the other hand, he dug deep into his pocket for a Sharpie.

"We can exchange numbers," he mumbled, his face scarlet now. Either he was overheating from the warm-up jacket or from his embarrassment that someone he had disliked for no reason a few hours ago had now become someone important enough for him to be gifted with his number. Taking the black marker, Leon scribbled his number onto his hand, and then Souda did likewise.

"I'll give you a call soon! Don't you dare ignore me, alright?" Leon shouted to him as he jogged back towards the stadium, his eyes flickering back to see him every few steps. Souda mournfully gave one last jaunty wave before dragging his feet back to his truck. He knew he was in for a long car ride home listening to Sonia's 'research' from the game while having his thoughts split by thinking about Leon. Buckling himself in with his seatbelt, Souda sighed and began to drive, not speeding quite as fast as this morning, but enough to make the trip shorter. Dropping Sonia off at her house, he graced her with a goodbye and then parked his truck outside of his garage at home.

Yawning from the hectic day, Souda found he couldn't concentrate on fixing the broken truck at all. Fanning himself-his body extremely hot-Souda discovered he had forgotten to give Leon his warm-up jacket back. Collapsing onto his couch, he folded up the jacket and hugged it tightly to his chest. Breathing in the scent, Souda was reminded of the same smell that floated in the stadium's field. The smell of freedom. He wanted to see Leon again, because that's exactly the feeling he gave Souda. Freedom.


	2. Always on My Mind

(Dedicated to callingGalaxy: the support I needed to write this)

Beads of sweat trickled down the pale set of cheeks belonging to the baseball player as he nervously dangled his cell phone from his hands. Was it too soon to call him? It had only been a day since he'd last seen the goofy mechanic, but he was already twitching with anticipation at their next meeting. His head was bombarded with negative thoughts, weighing him down until he gritted his teeth and thought, 'What the fuck?! I've always been able to call up chicks without a problem before. What's wrong with me now?'

Although the cerise-coloured hair that belonged to the mechanic was certainly silky smooth, it didn't mean the source of his dilemma was in fact a girl. No way in hell-that Souda Kazuichi was most certainly male. And this circled Leon right back to the starting point, where he frantically asked himself why he couldn't make a simple phone call to the guy. 'Cause how could the notorious womanizer ever fall for a guy? Regardless, he gulped and jammed his finger down on the call button, intently holding his breath at every ring. The faint echo of heavy breathing alerted him to an answer on the other side. It connected!

"Yo, Souda! It's me, Leon," he casually chimed, not wasting a moment to awkward silence. "I was wondering if ya wanted to hang out today." There were a few more deep breaths on the other end, and he could've sworn there was a sneeze or two.  
"M'sorry, Kuwata. I've got a cold, and I shouldn't get outta bed today," the weak voice on the other end croaked, and Leon felt his heart wilt in sympathy.

"Gah, ditchin' me already? You're so cruel, dude. But seriously, nah, it's cool! You stay in bed, alright? We can hang out anytime," he reassured the sick mechanic over the phone, his sagging shoulders conveying his disappointment. There went his plans for the day. He'd mustered up all that courage for nothin'.

"Once I get better, I'll make it up to ya," Souda wheezed through the phone, snapping Leon out of his moping. His efforts didn't seem to be in vain, so he cheerfully said his goodbyes to the mechanic and ended the call. A massive sigh escaped from his lungs which contained all his bottled-up nervousness from speaking with Souda. If he wanted to keep his sanity, he really should stop calling him. Nevertheless, his body felt ten times lighter than it had been. In fact, he was feelin' pretty generous.

Wallet in hand, he closed the door to his home and sauntered down the sidewalk towards the downtown area. If he bought some medicine for Souda he might be able to hang out with him sooner-and rack up a few brownie points. There was a tiny pharmacy just around the corner he frequently visited (the chick behind the counter usually gave him discounts, and he had a general understanding on the reason why), and he entered without a moment's hesitation.

There was only a slight problem with his visit here. Since he usually came here for vitamins and didn't get sick often, he had no idea which bottle out of the thousands on the rack was the correct one for a cold. Did he even have the cold? Maybe it was the flu? Just thinkin' about it made his head spin. Still, he was determined to buy the right concoction for his boyfr-mechanic friend. Yeah.

Maybe they'd both caught a cold. Leon couldn't seem to think straight ever since he met Souda. It was like all the girls in the world suddenly lost their attractiveness, or maybe it was his lack of desire for their attractive bodies. Either way, it was actually pretty shitty. He had intended on asking the counter lady out one of these days.

A figure stepped into the medicine aisle as he stared blankly at the rows of medicine. His eyes flickered over to glance at the person and was surprised to see it was someone he recognized. It was the chick from the baseball game! She was the one that accompanied Souda near the end. In almost no time at all, she spotted him and sprinted over. Oh, damn.

"Kuwata-san! It is a pleasure to meet you in such a fascinating place!" she gushed, her body sickeningly close to his. Normally he'd be all over such a stunning beauty, but he himself was ill for some goddamn reason. "What brings you to this shop of wonders? Are you unwell?" she placed a hand on his forehead, comparing their temperatures. It seemed very out of character for this lady to be touching someone so familiarly. Was she one of those fans?

"I'm fine, no worries," he reassured her, scrutinizing her appearance as inconspicuously as possible. This girl had some connection to Souda, and he wanted to find out what it was. Turning up the charm, he lilted, "So, what brings such a lovely lady to this shop? Perhaps you're buying medicine for a friend?"

"No such thing!" she smiled, and Leon's hopes fluttered as he realized he wouldn't have competition in this task. He would be the one to bring medicine to Souda after all! "You see, I am actually purchasing this for my boyfriend." And then his hopes shattered like the time he smacked a ball through his neighbor's garage window.

"Boyfriend…? Would that person happen to be…" he gulped as she gazed at him expectantly. "Souda?" She ecstatically clapped her hands and nodded, remarking on how perceptive Leon was. While the compliment should have boosted his pride, it really had no effect after the shock of finding out Souda and this girl were dating. Resentment and perhaps a bit of jealousy wormed its way into his heart, but he forced it back. There wasn't a legitimate reason for him to hate such a dazzling girl, and this just puzzled him even more. Maybe it was because she was already taken? No, more importantly, she knew where Souda lived (a key point he'd forgotten on his excursion)!

"Er," he struggled to remember her name, not even sure if she told him or not. Luckily, she was keen enough to figure out what he was searching for from her.  
"Sonia," she supplied helpfully, and he lightly clapped a hand on her shoulder.  
"Sonia-chan! Where does your boyfriend live again? I was thinkin' I'd also like to give him some medicine, y'know, as his friend," he grinned tightly, his friendliness somewhat tentative.

"I shall escort you there, Kuwata-san!" she tugged on his arm, only stopping when he had to pay for the medicine bottle he'd grabbed randomly, the lady behind the counter eying Sonia dirtily. Then they were dashing off again, hand in hand, down the grimy city streets until they suddenly paused at the outskirts of town. At the very edge of the city a garage was erected, a place he imagined where Souda lived and worked, breathing in the polluted air and car fumes.

Just as he suspected, Sonia lead him up to the rusty doors of the garage and strode in without even bothering to knock. There was a noble air to her, he noticed. Like a goddamn princess. How could he compete with that? As royally as he could, he entered behind her so as to not be shown up to the mechanic. When he gazed inside the bedroom attached to the shop, he realized Souda wasn't in any condition to even look at him.

Sweat soaked the sheets of his bed and drenched his quivering body, reminding Leon of his teammates after a grueling game. Sonia immediately began to order him around, telling him to fetch a wet towel while she administered the medicine they'd bought. Scrambling to find the bathroom, he eventually located it and snatched up the towel she requested. Once he returned, he carefully pressed the cloth to Souda's forehead, kneeling beside the bed to examine his flushed face.

Being this close to Souda started up that anxiety he had in the presence of the mechanic, sending his heart palpitating rapidly. Without the beanie on his head, Leon could twirl Souda's pink locks of hair absently and without worry. His hair was coarse, not so much so that it was unpleasant, but definitely strange compared to the girls he'd dated. Even though Souda's face was slick with sweat, for some reason he was enraptured by it. It was completely unintentional for him to space out like that, and Sonia tapped him on the shoulder insistently. Her entire demeanor seemed frazzled and oddly solemn.

"I have urgent business to attend! Take care of Souda-kun!" she barked, hovering over Leon with her hands on her hips. Damn, she was kinda scary! He nodded to show he comprehended what she was saying and she strode out of the door unexpectedly. Was that 'urgent business' really more important than her sick boyfriend? Not that he was complainin'! Just as he was about to settle down and spy on Souda some more, the mechanic stirred.

"Ungh," he moaned, his voice crackled and low as he peered up at him. "Kuwata-kun? What're you doin' here?" he mumbled, and he heaved himself to a sitting position. Even looking like he just climbed out of a gutter he was still smokin' hot! Leon brushed away such thoughts in a hurry and averted his gaze.

"Err, I came to bring you medicine. Your girlfriend brought me here, but she said she had to leave," he scowled, still pissed that she didn't think twice for Souda's health. Even though he thought this, a look of sympathy crossed Souda's face. Was he missin' somethin' here?

"I forgot that was today…" Souda mumbled, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. It seemed he was thinking about a far-off memory, something he didn't seem too damn happy about. Leon opened his mouth to ask about it, but his question was answered before he could. "Today is the anniversary of her previous boyfriend's death."

There was a long pause as Souda concentrated on his dangling legs and Leon gaped at the news. Her previous boyfriend...died? That would explain her behaviour earlier about her urgent business. She was probably visiting his grave right now before it began to rain tonight. Contrary to Leon's curiosity, Souda cradled his head in his hands.  
"Tch, that bastard...just dyin' and leaving Sonia-san all alone," he growled, but there was a deep sadness reflected within his eyes. Tears streamed down through the cracks between his fingers and Leon's heart ached for him. Souda didn't seem to have gotten along with her previous boyfriend, but they probably still had a bond that he couldn't stand to lose like that. It made Leon a little jealous.

Not jealous enough for him to lash out at Souda, though. Instead, he couldn't help but reach up and gently stroke his tear-stained cheeks. It was crazy, here he was comforting a man like himself over his dead rival when he could've been chasing after a domineering beauty.  
"Souda-kun," he whispered, wriggling up onto the bed to sit beside him. His arms reached out to envelop him in a hug. Sure, guys didn't usually have this kind of contact, but somehow it just seemed right to him.

Souda's arms squeezed him back gratefully, and Leon smiled at his response. All that echoed throughout the room were Souda's sniffles and hiccups, and they remained in their embrace until the sounds quieted and eventually lapsed altogether. In the silence, music drifted in from the garage radio, lyrics dancing in the air about coffee shop dates and cuddling together under the stars. As sappy as it was, Leon didn't feel it ruined the situation at hand.  
And then everything clicked in his mind.  
Everything that had happened today, ranging from his nervousness and jealousy and his obsessive thoughts on the pink-haired mechanic. It all made sense now. This must be the moment they describe in those hit songs on the radio...this thing called 'love'.


	3. Daybreak

Something was not quite right with the scene in which Souda found himself. Muscular arms gripped him with an intense strength he didn't dare defy, unlike the gentleness he was used to from his girlfriend. Along with the scent of rust and metal from his workshop, there was a hint of men's deodorant and cologne coming from the person attached to him. The tears that stained the man's pristine, white jacket didn't bother him at all (or if they did, he didn't let it show). With each hiccup that came from the mechanic, the other man squeezed him briefly and allowed him to continue his sobbing. And for some reason-even though he was being comforted by a man-all of this was not something he could despise. Maybe it was the fever talking. Had to be. Souda Kazuichi was not attracted to men.

After a long while, the mechanic finished flicking the remaining tears from his eyes and scrambled away from the man beside him. He could tell his entire face was flushed from his fever, but there seemed to be another reason for his red face he couldn't pinpoint at the moment. Now that they sat a few feet apart on the bed, Souda could gaze at the man he'd met only a few days ago at the baseball stadium. Spiky, scarlet hair burned across the top of his head and resonated with Souda's palpitated heartbeat. Like a siren song, the mechanic couldn't help but be drawn to the baseball player's deep voice as he spoke.

"You okay?" Those simple words echoed from Leon's mouth, breaking the spell between them. A few bouts of uncomfortable laughter erupted from Souda's mouth, but this only stung his throat and brought more sickly coughing.

"Hey, man, maybe you'd better lie down..." Leon hesitantly uttered, his hands hovering around his companion, unsure of how or if he should touch the sick man. In the end, his calloused hands rested back on the quilted covers of the bed and he didn't press the issue any further.

Now that there was a lull in their actions and words, Souda peeked across at the baseball player and noticed his eyes fervid with curiosity. Right, he hadn't even explained anything. But he couldn't muster up the courage to talk about the incident yet. It still was a wrench in his heart that he couldn't fix. So, in shame, he turned his head away.

Maybe Leon picked up on his cues, or maybe his intuition told him something was amiss. Either way, Souda yelped as the man snagged his upper arm and lifted him into a standing position. What the hell was he doing?! Cheeks reddening, he was about to chew Leon out when the baseball player winked at him confidently.

"C'mon, we're goin' out, bro!"

Pfft, he probably didn't even have an idea of where to go. Still, Souda unsteadily jogged behind him. It took a lot more effort than he imagined it would to keep up with his fellow teenager since he'd heard rumours that Leon hadn't showed up to baseball practice even once. If he was this in shape then he probably worked hard during his free time to compensate for his lack of training. But did he? Maybe he was just naturally athletic and had the intuition to make the right choices during a baseball game. A real genius. Not like Souda, who'd been training in the garage ever since he was a child. Locking himself away in the musty area, shutting out everyone and everything in order to concentrate and block out his memories for a duration of time. Souda never would be a genius.

Well, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Leon had no clue where to hang out. Although they kept jogging down the streets, the baseball player's head swung every direction, taking in every shop or stall they passed. Breath caught in his throat, Souda had to cover his mouth to contain his laughter.

"Kuwata, it's okay, man. We don't have to go anywhere," Souda chuckled, tugging on jacket sleeve. "I'm fine, so let's go back to my little junk-filled garage." Even from behind him, the mechanic could tell how red his ears were getting! He became a little smug, knowing he took out a little of the genius' pride.

"S-Shut up, man! I already have something planned, alright?!" He trudged forward more impatiently, his eyebrows creased together. It seemed as though the mechanic's words had an effect on him, because the teen's face illuminated for a brief moment and he charged towards the nearest drug store.

"Wait here!" he commanded, plonking Souda down on the steps outside the store's front doors. Bewildered, he just went with the flow. For the next half hour or so he remained right where Leon had set him like a loyal mutt, but he was growing antsy. What the hell took so long to buy in a drug store?! Right when he struggled to his feet and marched up to the front door, the baseball player crashed into him.

"Watch it!" Souda scowled, brushing off his sleeve as if it had been smudged with dirt. Really, it was just to look cool.

"Hurry up or I'll leave ya behind!" The redhead retorted, barreling past him and ducking down a side street. Time for a game of cat and mouse, eh? This mechanic never backed down from a challenge!

It became apparent soon enough that the two were chasing each other further and further from the central plaza of the city and were now in the slums. Souda didn't notice it at first-he was too absorbed in trotting after the baseball player-but the putrid stench of unbathed, disease-ridden bodies soon seeped into his nostrils. Their journey was becoming increasingly dangerous with every step they took forward. Knees shaking, he desperately wanted to dash forward and warn his friend, but he couldn't find the strength to do so.

"K-Kuwata!" he managed to choke out, flinching away from a passerby that stepped a little too close to him. If the boy had heard him, he gave no notice that he did and kept jogging around the corner of the street. As petrified as he was, there was no way he was going to remain here alone. At least there would be one person to guide him; Leon wouldn't abandon him. Trusting in that, he rounded the bend and skidded to a halt on the asphalt.

"We're here!" Leon chirped, proudly waving his hand to the heaps of scrap metal towering above them. This was the...junkyard? To anyone else, this would have seemed like a cruel joke. For Souda, this was equivalent to paradise. As the sun began to dip in the sky, its final hours of light were reflecting off the rusting auto parts jumbled together; the sight made Souda speculate if this was how his cookie-cutter neighbors gazed at their wind chimes in the summer breeze. No matter where he looked, mounds of discarded tools stood before him and he longed to simply sit down and tinker to his heart's content. Ah, what could he build out of that bent bicycle? That new car he'd been working on could sure use that spare column switch. It was the junkyard, so maybe no one would notice if he snagged a few goodies on the way home…

Dammit, this place was so cool! It was definitely where he'd go Christmas shopping for himself come next winter. He was so passionate to work he had to forcefully grab onto Leon to keep his hands from caressing every machine he laid eyes upon.

"Hey, man, are you okay? You haven't said a word since we got here," his companion prodded, trying to snap Souda out of his sparkling daze. "I thought you'd like it here, but, well, I guess I was wrong. I'm so stupid! Who would ever want to go to a place like this?" Unsure laughter rang out from his mouth as the baseball player tried to brush off his error.

"No, it's perfect."

He'd underestimated the redhead-maybe he was more attentive than he'd figured. It was almost like they were friends. A slight smile mirrored his elated thoughts, and he stretched out his hand to steer Leon into a lone trailer car that appeared as though it would be perfect for investigating. Both of their strengths combined was enough to scrape open the rusted sliding door, leaving them to peer into the shadowy enclosure with a sense of uncertainty.

"Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"It's a secret, just close 'em."

The order made Souda scowl, but he obeyed. If it had been dark before, now it was simply a black void that drained away every fragment of light around him. It would be appropriate to call it 'nothingness.' Noises echoed around him and the mechanic deduced that his friend had braved the corridors of the trailer. Or, at least, his footsteps had carried him away from Souda. With every second that ticked by, images of the baseball player fleeing and deserting him flashed through his mind. What if he'd befriended the mechanic for the laughs and all this was simply a trap? It wouldn't be the first time.

Just as the loneliness crept into his heavy heart, a calloused hand tapped his arm and snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Open your eyes!"

Ghosts. There were fucking ghosts surrounding him. No, wait, they were just violet LED candles. They were positioned on top of tables and chairs alike and all had dusty curtains and tablecloths draped over them. If they weren't supposed to be ghost candles then he had no idea what Leon was doing with them. Fucking Leon and his fucking ghost candles scared the daylights outta him.

"What's wrong, man? You look like you've seen a ghost," Leon prodded, and the mechanic swore he did that on purpose. Just to get a kick outta him.

"What the hell are the candles for?" he hissed, jabbing a finger at the spectral silhouettes. To his incredulity, the soft glow of the candlelight was enough to betray the redness on the baseball player's cheeks.

"I thought it would be dark by the time we came here, so I stopped by the convenience store for these. But I've never bought candles before, so I wasn't sure what kind to get. It took me a while to find these, but I thought you'd like 'em," he mumbled, his fingers running through his hair-a gesture Souda interpreted as embarrassment. The mechanic's smile was lost in the dim lighting, but he plopped his butt down next to his companion and rested his head against his shoulder.

"Not to be gay or anything, but I like 'em. 'Cause you bought 'em just for me. I've never had a friend do that for me before." It was unsettling to admit this to someone so sought-after, but he regarded Leon as not only a comrade, but a guiding light that lead him outside of his confining shell. Someone who protected him. A bulwark.

"Why not be a little?" The voice belonging to his friend seemed oddly close to his ear, and he shivered.

"Be a little what?" he couldn't help but inquire, his curiosity bubbling up inside his warm body. Dammit, it was hot in here. Even though he knew the LED candles weren't heating up the room any, their romantic light seemed to kindle a fire within his chest and melt any rational thoughts he had away. With his shoulder brushing against Leon, his heart was dancing recklessly about and he couldn't pinpoint the reason why. After all, he was dating Sonia so there was no reason for him to desire anyone but the bottle-blonde bombshell. Right?

"Be a little gay," Leon susurrated, his hand stroking Souda's flushed cheeks. And when their heads dipped towards each other, the mechanic ignored the dissenting thoughts in his mind and jocundly allowed their lips to press together. A slight tang of something-bubblegum, maybe?-peppered his tongue as they both willingly shared this intimate moment. Leon fuckin' rocked at this make-out business.

"W-Wait," Souda coughed, managing to wriggle his hand between their mouths for a moment. Before his eyes, the baseball player he'd so admired looked like a complete mess. There was a desperate longing in his eyes, his hair unkempt (which Souda realized was his fault for his hands had been tangled up in it until just a moment ago), and a trail of saliva flecked his chin. And all of this was because of...him? There was no way a star baseball player could want him so much that he'd be this disheveled after one kiss. If there was a mirror in front of him, he figured he would definitely be just as bedraggled.

"I've finally got the girlfriend I've been wanting after so many years, so-" He was cut off by Leon snagging him by the collar and glaring at him.

"Your 'girlfriend' is still hung up over her ex-boyfriend! She doesn't truly love you and you know it. You can't win against a dead man!" The baseball player's voice was heated and his words cleaved through him painfully. He hadn't wanted to admit it after all this time, but he knew Sonia was only dating him to try to forget her love that perished long ago. There would only be room for one in her heart, and it was reserved by the deceased Gundam Tanaka.

"H-He died last year in a plane crash. That bastard had finally grown the balls to board the plane to visit Sonia-san. She couldn't leave her country to see him, so he promised her he would cross Hell and back for them to meet. He told me he was going to propose to her in her home country so the gods would accept their love. She waited six months for him to board that goddamned plane, and then...he died. Just like that."

Gross choking noises caught up in his throat as tears matted his cheeks. He and Sonia were the same-so devastated by Gundam's death that they could only seek comfort in each other. Their relationship was nothing more than a facade to camouflage their loss. Touching each other was merely pain, knowing fully well that what they were doing wasn't right.

"There's still time. Dawn hasn't broken yet, right? His spirit should still be there, so you and Sonia-chan can settle this!" Leon proclaimed, dragging the mechanic outside their candle-lit trailer car. As they dashed down the streets, Souda noticed that this time Leon wasn't jogging ahead of him, but kept pace next to him. Racing together, hand-in-hand, struggling to beat the sun's arrival, they were out of breath by the time they reached the coastline. And thankfully, the sky had yet to burst into the array of morning colours.

A figure was crouched down in front of the colossal headstone, which he instantly recognized as Sonia. Her grieving face paralleled his own, stained unceremoniously with tears. When she glanced up, their gazes locked and he crashed to his knees beside her.

"Tanaka...I don't think we ever hated each other. Sure, we argued a lot and were rivals ever since we met, but I never hated you. You kept me going. You kept us both going," he gestured to Sonia, "through the tough times. Without you, both of us lied to ourselves. We thought we could replace you with each other, and I'm sorry. I've come to realize that we both won't ever forget about you. We can't, no matter how painful it is. And so, I have to confess to you both that I've found someone I love as equally as you two. Sonia-san, I can never be the one in your heart, and you no longer can be the one in mine. We both deserve to move on from this standstill we've put ourselves in, don't you agree?"

"As the princess of Novoselic, I could not have phrased that better myself, Souda-kun," she proudly acknowledged, hastily wiping her tears away. "Our relationship has ended, and you are free to love Kuwata-san just as I still love my beloved Gundam." Tucking a strand of her golden hair behind her ear, she ducked forward and formally pecked Souda on the cheek. A simple gesture between companions. He realized he may not have been as friendless as he had previously thought.

And so the two of them quietly remained kneeling in front of the grave (with a strangely placid Leon behind them) until the sun peeked out from beneath the waves of the sea, surrounded by stray animals that had been drawn to the grave and the four little hamsters that Sonia had been raising in place of their master. Splashes of colour-lavender, vermillion, beryl, peach-swept across the ocean's surface, signaling that daybreak had arrived at last. Even though such a resplendent sight should be something celebrated, the two of them could only think of it as something bittersweet, for with the coming of dawn also came the time when the spirit of their loved one would need to return from whence it came.


End file.
